


Birth of Athena

by sparklight



Series: Beginnings [4]
Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: Childbirth, Family Fluff, Gen, Psychological Trauma, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Sibling Bonding, well kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25019968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklight/pseuds/sparklight
Summary: Hades gets a surprising call, which instantly rips him out of an entirely and pleasantly normal day.This family is pretty weird, isn't it?
Relationships: Hades & Zeus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Series: Beginnings [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930411
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Birth of Athena

_Hades_.

Sitting in judgement, Hades paid no attention to the first weak, rumbling bangs, the call of his name. It was bold, but that only made him more inclined to ignore it. The next two slaps seemed to shake the Underworld itself, wisps of power shuddering through the air and accompanied by a rain of fine dust - impossible, as the ceiling was made up of closely fitted, polished blocks of marble, no joins between them, no dust or gravel to be made from the blocks grinding together.

 **Hades**!

Jerking upright, startled at the trembling boom of the call, Hades was halfway up to the surface, inelegant and direct instead of calling his chariot, before he even realized who'd called. Zeus. More strangely, and what made him finish his rise all the quicker, was the unfamiliar note of pained fear in the mental call. That he’d left a judgement in progress behind was immediately of little concern; Makaria would calm the shade and keep them company until he was back, she was well-equipped to handle it and could use the practice anyway. As he flickered into view, Hades came up nowhere near where he might have expected to, with sandy earth and grass tickling his ankles. There was a spry river winding its way past him, though the echo of its rushing waters held a note of trepidation, confusion. Why, was obvious enough after Hades had looked around the shaded spot next to the bend in the river.

There stood a man, his pale skin shimmering faintly, like the pattern of sunlight on water from below and his dark blond hair carrying shadows of blue, bent over his kneeling brother, an utterly lost expression on his graven face. Not important. What was important was Zeus, bent over the ground and shuddering all the way from his swaying, dark hair to his calves, a hand clutching his head, nails digging in hard and deep enough there was actually the glimmer of ichor around his fingertips. As he watched, a drop collected enough to spill over and track down along the bridge of Zeus' nose, ending up suspended and trembling from the tip of it until it finally fell. Hades was kneeling next to his brother, again before he quite had processed what he was experiencing fully, with a hand on his shoulder.

"Zeus, what---"

"I need..." Zeus groaned, leaning deeper over the grass with his shoulders heaving, " _help_ , Hades, I can't---"

Surprise was the least of it, but surprise twisted and deepened into something unnameable and dark when the heaving shoulder under his hand turned stiff and jerky, Zeus coughing until he'd vomited up a thin, gleaming stream of ichor and nectar. Hades stared, appalled. Beside him, the river god was a tiny storm of discomfort and shock. Gods did not _throw up_. It was not a thing that happened, and yet here Zeus was, expelling part of his very insides.

" _What_ do you need me to do?" That was what he needed to focus on, not on his emotions. The longer this took, the longer this would last, and it could not be allowed to last.

"My head." Another groan, faint and raspy. "You need to--- I need you to, cut it open."

Hades stared, incredulous. Then glanced up at the river god, who was still in upheaval, at his pale but unsurprised face. So he'd known, but he could not, would not, do this. Not surprising, but useless. A minor god would not have the strength or power to do what Zeus was asking, and also would certainly not lay a hand on _the king of the gods_ , no matter that he himself had asked it. Hades was only briefly surprised it wasn't Hestia his brother had called, but then, Zeus would not want her to see him this way. Wouldn't want any of their sisters, not even his new wife even if she would undoubtedly be able to handle this as well as go through with this, to see this. That he hadn't called Poseidon was laughably obvious as well. Zeus would _never_ show himself this vulnerable to Poseidon.

"Fine."

Zeus looked up at his cold, superficially calm agreement, and Hades almost flinched at the wide, pale look in them. Zeus' usually vibrant eyes were so pale they looked white, like an evenly overcast sky, the clouds heavy and low and threatening the earth.

"Hush." Reaching out, he brushed damp strands away from a sweaty forehead, fragrant with power and unformed ambrosia. Tucked the hair as well as he was able behind Zeus' ears, combed it back even when the shuddering made a few strands fall forward again. As long as he had a clear enough sview of what he needed to hit, that was fine. Standing up, Hades held his hand out while Zeus coughed again, spitting out another few drops of ichor. 

No tarrying. 

Taking a breath, Hades called a small, double-headed axe instead of his bident to his hand, for it'd be a particularly awkward choice of tool in this situation. 

"Rea---"

"Just do it."

No hesitation there, but given the way the words were ground out past gritted teeth, it wasn't much of a surprise. Hades still had to take a fortifying breath; no matter how aggravating his brother could be (and never as much as Poseidon was, anyway), he did not want him hurt, or to hurt him. But hurting him to have him not hurt was precisely what he would have to do, now. At least this axe should allow him what he needed to do without the risk of doing any actual damage.

It would have to be firm, but not too deep. Whatever 'too deep' was, in this case. _Cut his head open_? The pain must be addling him, but what was there to do? Zeus was liable to wrestle him for the axe if Hades took to long, given the look of him. It was doubtful he'd succeed considering he was trembling with pain, but he might injure himself and with far less control than Hades would be able to exercise at the moment.

Shaking his head and setting his jaw, Hades pressed his lips together, shifted his stance, drew back, and swung.

The initial crunch almost made Hades flinch and pull his swing, a reminder of the war cutting through him like he was cutting through Zeus' head. Cutting through his _little brother's head_ , never mind that Zeus was technically older, had lived more years properly than the rest of the siblings. He was hacking Zeus' head open - because he'd asked him to. Practically begged him to do it.

Luckily, despite the cold clutch around his heart, Hades didn't flinch hard enough to change the angle enough and make the cut worse, and he didn't pull his swing enough he’d have to redo it. The cut went from the breaking of bone to a heat Hades felt all the way up into his armpits, lashing out in retaliation for the wound being forced on something that was nearly invulnerable. The smell of ichor was sharp in the air, and Hades felt his insides turn, his grip soften. If Zeus needed more than this, he wouldn't be able to do it. He swallowed heavily and pulled his hand back, and the noise around him rushed back in. The river behind them, the river god beside Zeus, making a quiet, shocked noise, Zeus gasping like he actually needed air but that air was burning his lungs, choking him instead. Ichor ran in thick rivulets, spilling past the retreating axe-head like lava from an erupting volcano.

Ichor, and something else.

Hades staggered back as Zeus bellowed, the ground trembling with the dips and rises of his voice, the grass around them ripped apart into particles no larger than dust, coating their hands, their feet.

Zeus' wound did not get larger, but it certainly didn't get smaller either as the ichor stopped spilling out for something that was gray, icy sky blue, gold and soft brown. It took actual shape, softening into skin colour and pale brown at the same time as Zeus stopped screaming. It spilled out onto the ground between Hades and Zeus in a sprawl of limbs, a soft, shocked noise from the impact. Hades should be paying attention to that, but instead he lurched around the body, kneeling beside his brother to catch him by his shoulders.

"Zeus?"

"I'm fine, it's... fine now," Zeus said, and while there'd been an edge of sharp-edged desperation in the beginning, like he was still feeling pain or was saying it and hoping it would be true, by the last word his voice had gentled and slowed into startled relief. It _was_ true. Grunting, Hades squeezed his shoulders, resisting the too vulnerable urge to pull him in for a hug and leaned over to peer at the wound in Zeus' forehead. The wound he'd put there himself. The...

" _Thank you_ , Hades."

Hades startled at the quiet, firm whisper, nodded nearly reflexively, and was able to actually focus on what he was looking at, wiping away ichor that'd already crusted over and stopped flowing. "This needs to be seen to, if not now, then later."

"Later," Zeus agreed and made to stand up, waving Hades off. Normally, Hades would have let him, but this once he gripped his arm and hauled him up himself, making sure he was steady before he let go. Gray eyes, bright and collected instead of nearly washed out, glared up at him before Zeus huffed, squeezing his shoulder in turn before he stepped away, and very pointedly so. "Now---"

"Father Zeus," the river god spoke up for the first time, drawing both greater gods' attention, though Zeus had already been turning towards the two now in the clearing besides Hades and Zeus, "your... daughter?"

The question at the end wasn't unwarranted. Hades turned to look, and was quite baffled. There was indeed a girl - young woman, rather, nearly entirely fully grown - there, a faint shimmer of dried ichor turning otherwise soft, pale brown hair nearly stringy and making her gleam from head to toe in the sunlight. Girl. That didn't make her justice; this was a full goddess, her power bright just underneath her skin, marking her for as young as she was despite how old she looked.

"You did well, Triton."

Ah, so that was the river god's name.

Zeus strode forward, sure-footed and relaxed already now that the pain was apparently all gone, and Triton shifted back, though remained by the young goddess' side as Zeus clasped her face in both his hands, smiling widely. They were perfectly matched in height and eye-colour, and as Hades shifted around so he could get a look at both of them at the same time instead of looking at Zeus' back, it was easy to see their nearly stunning similarity. She looked like a softer, more feminine version of Zeus, nearly entirely, and as much as it definitely fit her, it was deeply strange to have a perfect image of what a _female Zeus_ would look like.

"Welcome, Athena." Zeus looked so delighted, Hades might almost think there was no confusion about this weird business at all, but he looked her over with an intensity to the searching stare that wasn't just simple appreciation. "Do you know where you... come from?"

He definitely was confused. Hades was almost relieved to not be the only one.

Athena blinked placid gray eyes and cocked her head, a little furrow appearing between her heavy eyebrows. "From you and my mother, of course."

Zeus stared at her, and Hades almost missed the minute, twitching flinch to his hands. It was confusing - Zeus and Hera hadn't been married for very long - barely any time at all! Certainly not enough time to create this goddess, and even if so, why would she come out of Zeus' _head_ instead of in the much more natural way? Zeus might be an impressive and almost frightfully creative force that seemed impossible to suppress, but this was a little much, even for him.

"Your mother, of course." He sounded a little faint, though when he continued, Zeus' voice was firm again, revealing no hesitation as he stroked Athena's cheeks and then let his hands fall to her shoulders. "You should clean up, while I get you some clothes."

"Come, you can use my waters, child," Triton said with a warm smile, though he glanced to Zeus first, who nodded and, with a firm nod and another little smile for Athena when she looked to him, mouth and eyes equally soft and uncertain, gently turned her around. Triton guided her over to the narrow strip of sandy shore that curved around the bend in the river they were closest to, and then, after she jumped back having stuck a foot in, patiently led her deeper in. Hades, meanwhile, strode over to Zeus and bent down to his ear.

" _Her mother_?" whispering sharply enough it was a hiss, Hades cared little for Zeus' irritated look at his demand. Even less so when it quickly turned troubled and confused, tension tightening the corners of Zeus' mouth.

"It's Metis. I don't know how, but she must mean... It must be Metis."

Hades took a moment - it didn't matter, Zeus was staring at his daughter and the river god anyway, while Triton urged Athena to squat down enough to dip her head under the water at least briefly - to stare at Zeus, feeling his face wanting to break out into some sort of expression. He didn't let it.

"But Metis---"

"I know, thank you," Zeus snapped, lips pressed together so thin they had almost disappeared, and the frown on his face must be pulling rather painfully at the huge gash still decorating his forehead. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Besides, her hair..."

He flapped a hand vaguely and then turned it into a pulling twist of both his hands while Hades looked over at Athena again, who was scrubbing through said hair. It was indeed the exact colour of Metis' hair, and admittedly, given where Athena had come from, maybe it did make sense that Metis had contributed at least something to her existence, even if she wasn't necessarily the child who Metis had been pregnant with. It did make even more sense if that's exactly who Athena was. Watching as Athena finished her bath, Hades was aware of Zeus pulling cloth into existence with a faint shimmer of ambrosia and the flickering shift of a wind to offer substance for it. Another twist of his hands and he was holding a tunic, pale blue to match his own darker one. Hades arched an eyebrow, and Zeus, who clearly spotted it despite watching Athena and thus not looking up at him, narrowed his eyes.

"She will have more clothing later. This is just for now, so no need to get fancy with it," he said tightly and strode forward, ignoring Hades' faint smirk as he followed him, pausing a couple steps away to let them have the space needed as Zeus helped Athena into the tunic after she'd been dried off with a negligent flick of power.

"How are you feeling, Athena?"

She blinked, then frowned slowly. Stretched her arms out and flexed her fingers and toes, pursed her lips, then raised a hand to feel out her nose, an ear. Patted herself down, rubbing the fabric over her thighs with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I think... good? The water was strange, but pleasant." She smiled faintly, drawn wider by Zeus' answering smile as he pulled her into a hug, which she slowly returned with the same thoughtful and exploratory precision she'd felt herself out with.

"Good. We'll introduce you to the rest of Olympos and the family, but after that..." Zeus trailed off, frowning as he pulled away, holding Athena at an arm's length and slowly shook his head. "I think you getting used to things in a place that _is not_ Olympos would be better. Triton."

The river god came up out of his waters, a startled but pleased expression on his face. "I have a daughter, she'd be much pleased to have a foster sister, I'm sure."

"Athena?" Zeus looked to her, and Athena glanced between the two, then slowly nodded.

"I think... I'd like that?"

Hades was rather sure that after her introduction that hesitation would be a lot less hesitant and she'd be relieved to be able to get her bearings in a much smaller and less chaotic place than Olympos, especially since there was no telling how Hera might react to this. Athena might not be a bastard child, or look like a child at all, but she'd come into full existence so soon after Zeus had married, so things were bound to be awkward nonetheless. Hades decided he didn't care to see the first of that fallout, and stepped forward.

"Welcome, niece." He kissed Athena's forehead, turned and clasped Zeus' shoulder and frowned at him. "Make sure you do get that wound looked at."

Zeus rolled his eyes, but his expression still carried hints of his gratitude for Hades’ help - and his concern as well, probably, but they wouldn't talk about that. "You've got your own kingdom to deal with, don't let us hold you up."

Indeed, he should get back. Still he sighed, however quietly, if only because they both probably needed it. Then he let his realm tug him back, away from the bank of the river Triton and the three deities standing under the plane trees, making ready to leave as well. He would check in about their new goddess in a couple years, when she was probably back on Olympos and all the mess that might stem from her unexpected existence had already passed. Also, when his disquiet over taking an axe to his little brother's head might have settled. For now, he had Leuke and Makaria to get back to and work to do.

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously Hades isn't one of the options who in the variations for Athena's birth was present! Originally I'd intended to go with Triton, since that was one of the possibilities and by my own ordering of events and the timeline I made, Prometheus is already chained up and Hephaistos not born yet, obviously. But then this idea came to me and I actually had a story. :)


End file.
